Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of top U.S. military officers to gather next week in Virginia. The meeting will take place Tuesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico and includes generals, admirals, and their senior advisers. No reason for the gathering was provided. Across the armed forces, about 800 generals and admirals serve worldwide in numerous commands. (Story URL)
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy tied to campaign funds from Moammar Gadhafi. The Paris court cleared him of other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. He plans to appeal, but he could still be jailed within days, making him the first former French president to serve prison time. (Story URL)
Starbucks will close hundreds of stores and cut 900 corporate jobs as part of a major restructuring. In a letter to staff, CEO Brian Niccol said store numbers will fall by about 1% in fiscal 2026, which begins October 1. Starbucks had 18,734 North American stores in June but will start October with about 18,300. Niccol said the company is trying to place affected workers in other roles. (Story URL)
The CDC says more children are experiencing severe flu complications, including rare brain inflammation. The CDC also reported 280 pediatric flu deaths last year, the highest since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Nearly 90% of those children were not vaccinated. Experts stress vaccination reduces the risk of hospitalization and death. Despite this, only 49.2% of children were vaccinated last year. (Story URL)
The White House has told federal agencies to prepare for possible layoffs if Congress fails to pass a spending bill by October 1st. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget directs agencies to draft “reduction in force” plans. The document warns that some programs without mandatory funding could face job cuts, not just furloughs. Congress is at a stand-off regarding plans to move forward. (Story URL)